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around him flung," now he makes his entree like a very Niobe, dissolved in tears.

nother takes his place,and the chasm is filled:1 A few years roll o'er our heads, and ere the hand of time has whitened the locks of his Although the old fashioned winter had some compeers, the names of the hero, or the sage, crustiness about him, and great coldness in his are forgotten; and too often, for the benefit of manner, he used to bring in his train a host of mankind, their virtues are buried with them. comforts, to which his presence added double Such is mau. One day he bestrides the zest. There was after the skating and snow world; and on the next he is laid in the dust. balling, sleighing, and other et cetera of the But, although he is certain that death must day were done, the snug fire side with the come, he makes no preparations to meet his family circle drawn closely around it, the apapproach; but, like the gilded butterfly, ples and nuts, and perhaps the pitcher of fine spends his summer continually on the wing in clear cider, to give food for conversation, and pursuit of pleasure; but he seeks in vain; and subject for the merry jest. Then, the joyous death comes and finds him still unhappy. See tale went round in all the hilarity of health, the pale student trim his lamp at the still hour while old and young appeared disposed to enof midnight, wasting his frame and racking joy themselves and laugh at the storm that his brain, so that he may obtain future hon- raved without. With bodies braced by the ors; see him again at the bar or in the pulpit, keen air and exercise, and hearts filled with lightning in his eye and thunder gathering glee, the very whistling of old Boreas seemed on his brow," as he addresses the delighted to join in our gaiety and mingle in the chorus audience. He is on the pinnacle of fame, of our mirth. And about Christmas too, what and admiring thousands bow as he passes. a fund of fun, filling the stocking, watching But he is still the strong bound slave of fickle for the Bell-snickle, and Heaven knows how fortune, and to-morrow he is trodden under many other pranks. All these have passed foot. And, in short, in whatever situation away with the old-fashioned winter, and prim. that singular being, called a man, is placed, ness and propriety have succeeded them.-he is rarely, if ever satisfied.-How is it? and Children now no longer seem to be children, why is it thus? Is there no situation-no mewed up in a corner with frames relaxline of conduct which he can pursue, by ed, they seem to dread the blast that in olden which comparative happiness will be obtain- time would have been thought a vernal gale. ed.-There is--and 'tis as clear as the light of Instead of roughing it through hail, snow and the sun at meridian. But he will not pursue hail, snow, and rain, and just popping in to this path, although good men of every age and warm their benumbed fingers, and then out nation have used their influence in endeavor-again to mingle in their merry work, the drawing to persuade him to adopt it.--And it is ing-room, well heated, must be the scene of this which perplexes me. I have mused upon their amusements; and if they happen to the circumstances and marked man down as make a sortie into the open air, it is only to the most singular being in existence. run back again with a shudder.

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WINTER.

December came: his aspect stern
Glared deadly o'er the mountain cairn;
A polar sheet was round him flung
And ice-spears at his girdle hung.
O'er frigid field, and drifted cone,
He strode undaunted and alone :
Or, throned amid the Grampians gray,
Kept thaws and suns of heaven at bay,"
[Introduction to the Queen's Wake,' by
J. Hogg.]

Such is the splendid description of December, given by the Ettrick Shepherd, than which we do not remember ever to have seen any thing more poetic. But his portrait must be confined to those winters we knew when we were boys, and not our modern ones, when, if the heavens be overcast, it is more in sorrow than in anger. Now-a-days winter creeps upon us so gradualiy, with sunshine smiles upon his brow, and in such a green old age, that we can scarcely recognize him as the same old gentleman who used to pay us a visit, all rigidity and stiffness, with an eternal scowl, upon his features, his elf locks hung with icicles, and breathing forth the nipping blast. Formerly he came "with polar sheet

THE TALISMAN.

WORCESTER, SATURDAY, JAN. 24, 1829. No foreign news of any note has been received of late. The Emperor of the Russias has had, it is said, a narrow escape from falling into the hands of the Turks, while sailing on the Black Sea: a furious storm arose, and it was with difficulty the vessel was kept from driving on the Turkish shore. Hostilities have been suspended for the winter between the Russians and Turks.

Don Miguel, the usurper of the Crown of Portugal, has been nearly killed by the upseting of a carriage which he was driving. It is stated that his life is still dispaired of.

The boats of the United States Ship of War Erie, have captured a Buenos Ayrean Privateer in the harbor of St. Bartholomews, she was suspected of piratical doings.

To our correspondent, J. B. we return our thanks, and would solicit further communica

tions.

The Publishers of the Talisman, encouraged by the liberal patronage extended towards them, give information, that at the commencement of the second volume, they shall enlarge their publication, to the size of a whole sheet, which will be presented in a quarto form, once a fortnight. The terms will be one dollar and twenty-five cents, and if paid in advance, one dollar a year. It is contemplated to publish the first number next week, which will be forwarded to the subscribers of the present volume. Such as wish to discontinue, will give information previous to the publication of the second number, which will be on the 18th of April.

The Village Register will continue to be published at convenient intervals, with such improvements as the state of the town shall require.

Married,

In Weathersfield, Vt. 4th inst. Mr. Oliver K. Hovey to Miss Fanny Martin; Mr. James Martin to Miss Henrietta Lawton; Mr. Josh

Nor known captivity ;-
Yet it was well, like the great sun,
Thy course did end as it begun,

Upon the chainless tide;

The youth was cradled on the wave,
And its fierce waters clasp thy grave!
I would not wake thy slumbers now,
All lowly as thou art;
Nor place again upon thy brow,

The crown that crush'd thy heart!
No bitterness of death was left,
When of thy wife and child bereft,
Captivity's first smart-
Piecemeal, they meted out thy doom,
Thou living tenant of a tomb.

Rest, warrior! though no column tell
The story of thy death,

Earth's mightiest shall remember well
Of him that sleeps beneath.
And he, who scarce with infant hand,
Unsheaths his father's battle brand,

May earn as green a wreath,
And teach how poorly they were free,
When the damp sod closed over thee.

S. S. BOYD.

INVOCATION TO THE ECHO OF A SEA SHELL, By A. A. Watts.

ua Martin, 3d, to Miss Elizabeth W. Richard-Fond hearts and true the beautiful and brave

son; Mr. William P. Nichols to Miss Prudence Martin The above persons were members of one household, residing under the same roof.

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Childhoods's bright hair-the veteran locks

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WORCESTER TALISMAN. Published every other Saturday morning, by DORR & HOWLAND, Worcester, (Mass.) at $1 a year, payable in advance.

Agents paying five dollars will be entitled to receive SIX copies.

Letters, intended for THE TALISMAN, must be post paid to insure attention.

GRIFFIN AND MORRILL....PRINTERS.

THE

Worcester Talisman.

NO. 23.

ORIGINAL.

FEBRUARY 7, 1829.

"There is a tide in the affairs of men, &c.

Shakspeare.

True there is a tide in the affairs of men, but when was there an Editor known to be in its current,floating prosperously on its waves, his patrons pleased, his pockets full and himself at peace with all the world? Never with in the memory of man has such an event happened, at least, history has recorded none such nor has tradition handed down an example.

If there is ought of profit accruing, your publishers take the cash, look grum, and talk of the great expense of printing and a score of other items, which serve to swell the aggre. gate, like the tailor's stay, tape and buckram. Ay! but you Editors have all the Credit, the honor &c. of a successful work. We'deny this conclusion of the public as erroneous.The editor has all the ratings and fault finding bestowed plentifully and gratuitously on him, all the credit is monopolized by the publishers. Suppose the position true that an editor has all the credit of a successful paper."Can honor set to a leg? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No." Truly if this honor, this reputation is such a passable commodity, so tangible and full of satisfaction; I will experiment upon it, face my tailor and beard my shoemaker with it, when they next present their interminable bill of items. Here sir, receipt me your bill for thread, wax, and leather quickly, and I make over to you in full discharge thereof, all the credit I gained by writing that essay, or this paragraph. you mad Mr. J. B." shouts Crispin, "do you think I can feed my family, or pay my workmen with this." Ay! as well as I can pay mine host with it! or purchase a new coat, which I am even now wanting, or get a pair of boots that will not gape ominously in the face of their wearer, shewing a fearful array of peg like teeth. may well thank my stars I have but one to care for, only one that can be starved by my exertions to live. J. B.

SELECTED.

"Are

It may be interesting to our readers to know something of the mineral treasures of Great Britain: the following extract will

VOL. I.

show how abundantly that country is supplied with coal.-ED.

COAL.-Coal was known and partially used, at a very early period of our history. I was informed by the late Marquis of Hastings, that stone hammers and stone tools were found in some of the old workings in his mines at Ashby Wolds; and his lordship informed me also, that similar stone tools had been discovered in the the old workings in the coal mines in the north of Ireland. Hence we may inter that these coal mines were worked at a very remote period, when the use of metallic tools was not general. The burning of coal was prohibited in London in the year 1308, by the royal proclamation of Edward the First. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth the burning of coal was again prohibited in London during the sitting of Parliament, lest the health of the knights of the shire should suffer injury during the abode in the metropolis. In the year 1643 the use of coal had become so general, and the price being then very high, many of the poor are said to have perished for want of fuel. At the present day, when the consumption of coal in our iron-furnaces and manufactories, and for domestic use, is immense, we cannot but regard the exhaustion of our coal-beds as involving the destruction of a great portion of our private comfort and national prosperity. Nor is the period very remote when the coal districts which at present supply the metropolis with fuel, will cease coal shipped in the rivers Tyne and Wear, acto yield any more. The annual quantity of cording to Mr. Bailey, exceeded three millions tons. A cubic yard of coal weighs nearly one ton, and the number of tons contained in a bed of coal one square mile in extent and one number and extent of all the principal coalyard in thickness, is about four millions. The

beds in Northumberland and Durham are known; and from these data it has been cal. culated that the coal in these countries will last 360 years. Mr. Bailey, in his surveys of Durham, states that one third of the coal being already got, the coal districts will be exhausted in 200 years. It is probable that many beds of inferior coal, which are now neglected, may in future be worked; but the consumption of coal being greatly increased since Mr. Bailey published his survey of Dur

ham, we may admit his calculations to be an approximation to truth.

*

**

*

Mr. Bakewell then states the inaccuracies of Dr. Thompson's calculations on this subject, (in the Annals of Philosophy.) and compares them with those of Mr. Bailey and Mr. Winch; and, after making allowance for the waste of coal at the mouth of the pit, and the quantity of coal left unwrought in the mines, he concludes that the period when the coal mines of Northumberland and Durham will be exhausted (giving it the longest duration) cannot exceed 360 years from the present time.

It cannot (says the author) be deemed uninteresting to inquire what are the repositories of coal that can supply the metropolis and the southern countries, when no more can be obtained from the Tyne and the Wear.The only coal fields of any extent on the eastern side of England between London and Durham, are those of Derbyshire, and those in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The Derbyshire coal-field is not sufficient of magnitude to supply for any longer period more than is required for home consumption and that of the adjacent countries. There are many valuable beds of coal in the West Riding of Yorkshire which are yet unwrought; but the time is not very distant when they must be put in requisition to supply the vast demand of that populous manufacturing country, which at present consumes nearly all the produce of its own coal mines. In the midland counties, Staffordshire possesses the nearest coal district to the metropolis of any extent; but such is the daily consumption of coal in the ironfunaces and founderies, that it is generally believed this will be the first of our town coal-fields that will be exhausted. The thirty-feet bed of coal in the Dudley coal. field is of limited extent; and in the present mode of working it, more than two thirds of the coal is wasted and left in the mine. If we look to Whitehaven or Lancashire, or to any of the minor coal fields in the west of England, we can derive little hope of their being able to supply London and the southern counties with coal, after the import of coal fails from Northumberland and Durham. We may thus anticipate a period not very remote, when all the English mines of coal and ironstone will be exhausted; and, were we disposed to indulge in gloomy forebodings, like the ingenious authoress of the Last Man,' we might draw a melancholy picture of our starving and declining population, and des cribe some manufacturing patriarch travelling to see the last expiring English furnace before he emigrated to distant regions. Fortunately, however, we have in South Wales, adjoining the British channel, an almost exhaustless supply of coal and iron-stone, which are nearly unwrought. It has been stated that this coal-field extends over about 1200 square miles, and that there are twenty-three beds of workable coal, the total average thickness of which is 95 feet, and the quantity contained

in each acre is 100,000 tons, or 65,000,000 tons per square mile. If from this we deduct one half for waste and for the minor extent of the upper beds, we shall have a clear supply of coal equal to 32,000,000 tons per square mile. Now if we admit that five million tons of coal from the Northumberland and Durham mines is equal to nearly one-third of the total annual consumption of coal in England, each square mile of the Welch coal field would yield coal for two years' consumption; and as there are from one thousand to twelve hundred square miles in this coal-field, it would supply England with fuel for two thousand years, after all our English coal-mines are worked out.

Mr. Bakewell states, however, that a considerable part of the coal in South Wales is of an inferior quality, and is not at present burnt for domestic use.- -Lond. Lit. Gazette.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS OF THE YEAR 1828. The battle of Navarino and the liberation of Greece by the French troops.

The invasion of Turkey by the Russians, and the unexpected vigour and success of the Turks in defence.

The usurpation of Don Miguel in Portugal and the submission of the Portuguese.

The fall of the minister Villele and his party in France, and the comparative triumph of liberal principles throughout the French government.

The rapid changes in the British ministry, and the final ascendency and elevation of the Duke of Wellington.

The repeal of the Test Acts by the British Parliament; the election of O'Connell, in Ireland to the exclusion of Fitzgerald; the diffusion and completion of the project of Catiolic Association in that country; the general progress in Great-Britain of the cause of Catholic emancipation or religious right.

The peace between Buenos Ayres and Brazil, including the establishment of the independent states of Monte-Video, under the auspices of Great-Britain.

The convulsions in the Republic of Colombia; the overthrow of her constitution; the assumption of the supreme power by the military chief, Bolivar.

The various revolutions in Peru and Chili adverse to the power and plans of Bolivar, and the subversion of his Bolivian Constitution in Upper Peru; the declaration of war between Colombia and Peru.

The conspiracies and rebellions in Mexico; the failure of Bravo's plot and his banishment; the election of Pedraza to the exclusion of Gen. Victoria; the insurrection of Gen. Santa-Anna.

In the U. States-the adoption of a Tariff deemed exceptionable by all parties; the violence of the opposition to it in the South; the proceedings thereon of the legislatures of S. Carolina and Georgia; the violence of the

and the husband and wife live separately.— Slight mourning continues only for a week, and is worn on the decease of a husband or of a wife. On returning from the funeral obsequies, the husband, wearing his mourning hab

contest for the office of President; the abuse of the liberty of the press by incessant invective and calumny; the publication of private letters; the reports of private conversation; the election of Gen. Jackson to the exclusion of Mr. Adams; the general and easy submis-its, washes his hands, uncovers his feet, and sion to the will of the majority; the new evidence of almost universal trust in the efficacy of our institutions and the spirit of the country. The chief glory of the end of the year 1828, is the situation of this Union.-Nat. Gaz.

MOURNING.

"Black is the sign of mourning," says Rabelais, "Because it is the colour of darkness, which is melancholy, and the opposite to white which is the colour of light, of joy, and of happiness."

The early poets asserted that souls, after death, went into a dark and gloomy empire. Probably it is in consonance with this idea that they imagined black was the most congenial colour for mourning. The Chinese and the Siamese choose white, conceiving that the dead become beneficent genii,

In Turkey mourning is composed of blue or violet; in Ethiopia, of gray; and at the time of the invasion of Peru by the Spaniards, the inhabitants of that country wore it of mouse colour. Amongst the Japanese, white is the sign of mourning, and black of rejocing. In Castile, mourning vestments were formerly of white serge. The Persians clothed themselves in brown, and they, their whole family, and all their animals were shaved. In Lycia, the men wore female habiliments during the time of their mourning.

At Argos, people dressed themselves in white, and prepared large feasts and entertain

ments.

At Delos, the people cut off their hair, which was deposited upon the sepulchre of the dead. The Egpytians tore their bosoms, and covered their faces with mud, wearing clothes of the colour of yellow, or of dead

leaves.

seats himself on the ground, remains in the same posture, and continues to groan and weep, without paying attention to any occupation, until the seventh day.

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The Chinese, when they are in mourning, wear coarse white cloth, and weep three years for the loss of the departed. The magistrate no longer exercises his functions, the counsel. lor suspends his suits, and husbands and wives, as with the Jews, live apart from each other, Young people live in seclusion, and cannot marry till the end of the three years.

The mourning of the Carribbees consist in cutting off their hair, and in fasting rigorously until the body purify; after which they indulge in debauches, to drive all sadness away from their minds,

PAINE AND FRANKLIN. We are indebted for the following interesting reminsences, to the Philadelphia Monthly Magazine.

The first literary magazine ever published in the colonies, was printed and edited by Benjamin Franklin. It was entitled The General Magazine and Historical Chronicle." The first number appeared in January, 1741, and, according to Thomas, the work was continued only six months. At the same time came out, in opposition to Franklin the American Magazine, or a monthly view of the British Colonies, printed and sold by Andrew Bradford.-This publication was even shorter lived than its competitor; proving conclusively, that the time for periodical litature had not We meet with no other yet arrived. project of the kind, until October, 1757, when appeared the American Magazine under the auspices of Dr. Smith, already noticed. The publication of this ceased at the expiration of one year.In 1769 a small paper, of little value, entitled the Penny Post, was published by Benjamin Mecom. His design was to print it weekly, but it came from the press in an irregular manner. merican Magazine, by Lewis Nichols, was commenced in 1769, and ended with the year. To this work was subjoined the transactions of the American Philosophi cal Society. The Royal Spiritual MagThey do not eat in common with the family || azine, or the Christian's Grand Treasu

Amongst the Romans, the wives were obliged to weep the death of their husbands, and children that of their father, during a whole year. Husbands did not for their wives, nor fathers for their children, unless they were upwards of three years old.

The full mourning of the Jews continues for a year, and takes place upon the death of parents. The children do not put on black, but are obliged to wear during the whole year the clothes which they had on at the death of their father, without being allowed to change them, let them be ever so tattered. They fast on the anniversary of his death every year.Second mourning lasts a month, and takes place on the demise of children, uncles and

aunts. During that period they dare neither wash themselves, shave, nor perfume themselves, nor even cut their nails.

The A

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